The present invention relates to a fitting detecting connector.
Disclosed in JP-9-211020 is a fitting detecting connector in which, when male and female connector housings are not correctly fitted together, force from a spring pushes the housings apart, and in which a locking arm is provided on one of the connector housings, this locking arm maintaining the two connector housings and the spring in a fitted state.
The configuration of this fitting detecting connector is explained briefly below with the aid of FIG. 19. A male housing a fitting together with a female housing c has a stopping protrusion b. The corresponding female housing c has a bendable locking arm d for engagement by the stopping protrusion b and a spring holder e capable of being moved in an anterior-posterior direction. Coiled springs f are housed within this spring holder e, these coiled springs f being compressed by an anterior edge of the male housing a. When the two housings a and c are fitted together, the locking arm d rises over the stopping protrusion b, and a tip of the locking arm d is engaged by a restraining wall g of the spring holder e (see FIG. 20), thereby regulating the movement in a posterior direction of the spring holder e. As a result, as the two housings a and c are being fitted together, the coiled springs f are pressed down and gradually compressed by the anterior edge of the male housing a. If the fitting operation is halted at this state, the resilient spring force of the coiled springs f separates the two housings a and c. If the housings a and c are completely fitted together, the locking arm d rises over the stopping protrusion b, thereby returning to its original shape and being engaged by the stopping protrusion b. Then the engagement of the spring holder e is released, and the resilient spring force of the coiled springs f pushes the spring holder e in a posterior direction.
However, as shown in FIG. 20, when the locking arm d rises over the stopping protrusion b and returns to its original position, the resilient spring force of the coiled springs f is sometimes exerted from the restraining wall g of the spring holder e towards the tip of the locking arm d, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 20, thus regulating the return of the locking arm d. That is, there is the possibility that locking cannot occur even though the two housings a and c have been correctly fitted together, and thus further improvement is required.
The present invention responds to the above shortcoming, and aims to present a fitting detecting connector in which the locking arm returns smoothly to its original position when the two connector housings have been correctly fitted together.
According to the invention there is provided a connector housing of a male/female connector pair, the housing including a locking arm bendable from a rest condition to a bent condition on initial engagement with a locking member of a mating connector, and reverting to the rest condition on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member, the housing further including a compression spring having one end engageable with a mating connector to urge said housing out of engagement therewith during partial fitting thereof, and a spring holder defining a releasable reaction member for the other end of said spring, said locking arm and spring holder being engageable during partial fitting to make said reaction member effective, and being released on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member to make said reaction member ineffective, and thereby permit compressive stress in said spring to be reduced, wherein engagement between said locking arm and spring holder is by abutment, one of said locking arm and spring holder having a tapered abutment face such that the load of said spring includes a component tending to return said locking arm to the rest condition.